The family of a Massachusetts woman killed by the Las Vegas gunman last week has issued a public statement, days before they prepare to say their final goodbyes. Rhonda LeRocque was among the 58 victims killed Oct. 1 at the Route 91 Harvest Festival across the street from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas strip.

(Published Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017)

Casey continued her education by earning a master’s degree from Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts.

She was living and working in Redondo Beach, California as a special education teacher, until attending the country music concert in Las Vegas that turned tragic October 1.

A gunman killed nearly 60 people that night, and those victims are being remembered in cities and towns all across the nation.

"It’s just very hard to even fathom that something like this could ever happen," said Steve Nichols, a member of the Manchester Select Board, who attended Tuesday’s funeral. "It’s definitely hurt Manchester, Dorset, the state of Vermont, and the whole country."

Inside the church in Casey’s hometown, speakers celebrated her for her big smile and her bigger heart. They recalled her quirky sense of humor and the talent and passion she had for reaching students who struggle.

Beverly King of Malone, New York said she was visiting relatives in Vegas during the massacre.

Audio released by MGM Resorts shows the moment a Mandalay Bay Hotel engineer was shot at by Stephen Paddock, just minutes before Paddock gunned down 58 people and wounded hundreds of other people during the 91 Route Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.

(Published Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017)

Touched by the stories of loss, she drove several hours to Dorset Tuesday.

"I didn’t know this family," King said. "I felt this need to come here when I heard she was from Vermont—and pay my respects."